Adolf Schallamach (1905–1997) was a scientist at the British Rubber Producers' Research Association noted for pioneering understanding of the mechanisms of rubber

friction Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material elements sliding against each other. Types of friction include dry, fluid, lubricated, skin, and internal -- an incomplete list. The study of t ...

. He was one of only two electrical engineers ever to win the

Charles Goodyear Medal The Charles Goodyear Medal is the highest honor conferred by the American Chemical Society#Organization, American Chemical Society, Rubber Division. Established in 1941, the award is named after Charles Goodyear, the discoverer of vulcanization, ...

(the other being Fernley H. Banbury).

Personal

Schallamach was born in 1905 in Posen, German Empire (now Poznan, Poland). He died on 22 June 1997. He is one of 2820 people named in the 'Black Book', the popularized name of the Nazi Sonderfahndungsliste GB' (e/special/ly most wanted list), for arrest after a successful Nazi invasion of Britain in 1940.

Education

In 1929 Schallamach received his Diplom Ingenieur in electrical engineering, having studied at technical high schools in Zurich and Breslau. He completed his doctoral dissertation at the University of Breslau in 1934 but had to leave Germany as a Jewish refugee before receiving his degree. He was only able to receive his doctorate officially in 1948 from the

University of Braunschweig TU Braunschweig (, unofficially ''University of Braunschweig – Institute of Technology'') is the oldest ' (comparable to an institute of technology in the American system) in Germany. It was founded in 1745 as Collegium Carolinum and is a membe ...

after Breslau had become Polish.

Career

After immigrating to the United Kingdom, Schallamach obtained a position at the Davy Faraday Laboratory of the Royal Institution, researching crystal structure at low temperatures. He held this position from 1934 until 1943. In 1943, he joined the British Rubber Producers' Research Association as a Research Physicist. He initially studied the dielectric properties of elastomers, but soon was called on to pursue studies into the friction and abrasion properties of rubber. His developments included a viscoelastic theory of friction that explained the observed rate dependence of rubber friction in terms of molecular arguments.

Schallamach Waves

Schallamach is widely known for his observation of the occurrence of waves of detachment during abrasion experiments with rubber. He provided an explanation for these Schallamach waves in terms of the

elastic instability Elastic instability is a form of instability occurring in elastic systems, such as buckling of beams and plates subject to large compressive loads. There are a lot of ways to study this kind of instability. One of them is to use the method of i ...

of the elastomer surface.

Awards

* 1942 - Fellow of the

Institute of Physics The Institute of Physics (IOP) is a UK-based not-for-profit learned society and professional body that works to advance physics education, physics research, research and applied physics, application. It was founded in 1874 and has a worldwide ...

. * 1998 - inducted into the

International Rubber Science Hall of Fame International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

. * 1970 -

Colwyn medal Colwyn may refer to: Wales * Colwyn Bay – town in north Wales ** Bay of Colwyn Town Council – town council in north Wales * Colwyn (district) – former district and borough in north Wales ** Colwyn Borough Council – former council in north W ...

* 1982 -

Publications

External links

Video showing formation and propagation of Schallamach waves

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schallamach, Adolf 1905 births 1997 deaths Polymer scientists and engineers British scientists Jewish scientists Tire industry people Fellows of the Institute of Physics University of Breslau alumni Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United Kingdom